Demonic Complications
by Lazerwolf314
Summary: After the battle w/ the first, Xander became an NCIS agent working under none other then Gibbs. The team know nothing of Xander's past but when they respond to a John Doe case, what will happen when the John Doe is Spike? How will past and present react?
1. An undead John Doe

**In honor of school being out, I decided to write this fic. It's one of my fics that I wrote a long time ago and I dug it out, read it and was like, sure, why not? I really hope that you like and please R&R.**

**Disclaimer: Well, first off, I live in the middle of freaking nowhere. Second, I obviously don't own anything because I'm not a guy. So this is all Joss Whedon's, Donald P. Bellisario and Don McGill. The plot, however, is mine!**

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(mostly) Xander POV **(oh, and Xander still has both eyes. That's about the only thing different. Set after season 7 of Buffy and in season 6 of NCIS.)**

Special Agent Alexander Harris of NCIS nearly groaned when he walked onto the crime scene. As it was, he barely held it in and stared at the bleach-blonde head and leather jacket lying, sprawled on the ground. As soon as he had seen the body, he had known he was in for a brutal day.

Xander had been woken rudely by his boss, Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, demanding him to get his ass to 32 Main Street, Virginia, only half an hour before. The call had jolted him out of his chaotic dreams causing him to panic slightly. When he realized it was just his phone, he had a wooden stake in one hand and it had already gone to voice-mail. He dropped the piece of wood and had hit redial; frantically hoping Gibbs wouldn't be to pissed. Once his boss answered his cell, he had snapped out orders before Xander could say anything. Then he had hung up.

The case was a John Doe found near Quantico naval base. There had been no identification on him but there had been a navy issue weapon beside the body. That's all Gibbs told Xander before ordering his ass on scene. The address had been familiar to Xander. It was a bar.

It took almost half an hour to get to the crime scene, and the whole team was already there. Ziva and McGee gave him pitying looks and Tony smirked behind his camera. Gibbs had ignored him completely, just telling him to get photos before going to talk to the first on scene. What made matters worse was that he knew the bar. It was a local demon haunt that was owned by none other then Willy the Snitch. Luckily for Xander, Willy didn't seem to be on the scene yet, so he could avoid the awkward questions that would've surely come if the team knew he knew the bar and its patrons. Or what the patrons were for that matter.

That's when Xander got a good look at the body when he stepped around Palmer to take sketches of the area. Once he recognized the man, he knew first off that he wasn't dead… erm, not dead again, because if he was, the man would be just a tiny pile of dust. Second, Xander could barely see the slight twitch of the man's left eyebrow, above the scar. No one else had bothered to look.

He was stretched out in the shade of the shabby bar, inches away from the sunlight. He was badly beaten, and looked like he had taken a good whack to the back of his had. Xander knew immediately that he would have to face some major issues when he returned to the navy base. Then again, he might not ever get back there. Not with what might happen in the next few minutes and what Spike was doing in Virginia. Of course Ducky happened to be just about to use the liver probe when Xander showed up. Xander leapt forward to stop him but it was to late.

The probe broke through flesh and that's the exact moment Spike regained consciousness. The vampire had sat up with a growl, rolled to his feet and got into a defensive crouch, his back to the bar, in seconds. At least he had kept his fangs in. And he was standing in the shade. The entire team had reacted instantly with guns drawn and shouting orders to drop, freeze, whatever. Palmer had helped Ducky to his feet and they were both wide eyed behind the police line. All the while Spike was swearing viciously. "What in the bloody, buggering hell is going on?" He demanded.

That's when Xander stepped forward, against the direct orders of Gibbs for him to stay back.

"Spike!" He snapped.

The vampire whipped his head around, and he smiled. Slightly. And toothily. "Xander! Told the old brit I could find you. Of course, I didn't except it to be like this."

"Spike. What the hell are you doing here?" Xander sighed heavily.

Before Spike could answer, Gibbs broke in. "Harris, how in the hell do you know who this man is?"

"Sorry Boss. That's classified information." Since Xander was an Agent for the NSWC (National Slayer and Watcher Council) he had no authority to tell his boss. Well, his boss at NCIS. **(A/N: I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one that's used NSWC before so I'm claiming it. If that's not true, let me know.)**

Once Buffy and the Scoobies had defeated the First, Giles had put together a council for slayers and watchers. It was made so both parts could be seen as equals instead of the watchers thinking they ran the show. It had setups with many different national and international agencies, with agents in place all around the globe. Xander was a liaison with NCIS (all though his team didn't know it) and had been for 3 years. Xander was the only agent from the NSWC in Washington, D.C at the moment. He could've chose to work with the F.B.I or some other agency but Xander like the idea of a not-so-well-known federal group. It reminded him a bit of his life in Sunnydale. The anonymous factor because the only thing that town was known for was its high mortality rate. And that wasn't something to be proud of.

The NSWC had also put together schools where all young slayers could be taught to handle their powers and once they graduated from a 2 years course, they were sent to different hellmouths and places with the most demon activity. Since there were thousands of new slayers, the Scoobies had taken a year to round them up and tell them about their destinies, duties and powers. The NSWC was still finding young slayers today. It was amazing how many potentials had still been alive when the bringers had been roaming the world searching for them.

All of the NSCW agents had a special phone made just for the long distance calls that came from anywhere on the globe. Giles always sent word when slayers or agents would come to Washington, how long they would probably stay and what they were doing in Washington. It was usually a demon of some sort they had tracked from the other side of the world. Xander would let the slayers crash at his place, provide some weapons and backup until whatever demon was threatening the streets was dead. Xander kept up regular patrols of his own in the streets of D.C. It wasn't a Hellmouth or anything, but some vampires and minor demons liked to come and lurk in the bars. Xander had had very few major incidents in the past 3 years, and since he had taken a major self-defense course at the NSWC headquarters in London, he no longer fought like an incompetent idiot. He had even beaten Ziva during a workout session. When his teammates had asked where he had learned to fight, he just said he took intensive martial arts when he was a kid. He could tell that no one believed him, but he couldn't exactly say that he had been in training with girls that were stronger then about 10 grown men. And that he had fought countless _demons. _But the team had backed off when he used his glare on them, the one that he usually reserved for Spike.

"What the hell do you mean, 'classified information'? And how in the heck is he still alive." Gibbs stared at Xander. For the first time in 3 years, Harris had defied a direct order and it shook Gibbs slightly. And since when did Harris know classified information?

"Put down your weapons. He's harmless." Xander snapped, completely ignoring what his boss had said.

"Hey! I resent that Xander-boy!" Spike muttered. Xander just looked at him and said dryly, "You have a liver probe stuck in your gut." Spike glanced down and mumbled, "well, whatda'ya know." He then proceeded to draw the metal wand from his flesh. It made a sickening pop when it came free and it clattered to the ground, covered in gore. Behind Xander, McGee made a choked sound that sounded like a whine and from the corner of his eye, Xander could see Tony holding in his horror. Ziva's face was covered in an expressionless mask and her gun never wavered from where it was aimed. At Spike's head. Xander doubted that it would kill the vampire but it would probably be extremely painful.

"Harris! Explain what is going on!" Gibbs demanded getting increasingly worked up. The unidentified corpse that was his case had just woken up, gotten up and pulled a liver probe from his body as if it was a mild nuisance. And even more so, Harris seemed to know the man, was unsurprised by his _miraculous_ recovery and was conversing with him like friends. Gibbs motioned with a hand for the rest of his team to lower his or her weapons because the man had made no move to attack or harm anyone. But he kept his side arm ready. He watched as Ziva, McGee and Dinozzo followed his orders reluctantly.

"Boss, I can't tell you. Seriously."

Just then, a furious roar came from inside the bar and Spike and Xander barely hesitated. They burst through the door together and Xander saw a very angry Fushna'k demon throwing one of the tables at an unfortunate human that happened to be sitting nearby. A Fushna'k demon looks fairly human in shape but that's mostly it. They have almost impenetrable skin; it's thick like the amour on a rhino and looks just as appealing. They have two very pointy horns sticking out from the side of their necks and a long whip-like tail that's very strong and can cause serious damage. This one had glowing red eyes and its skin was an unattractive puke brown.

As soon as Gibbs and the rest of the team charged through the door, the remaining demons had vanished down into the sewers. There were very few who stayed during the day, and it was a good thing too. The only reason the Fushna'k hadn't left with the rest was the fact he was currently trying to gut the idiotic man that had tormented him in the first place. Willy's bar had a strict policy that when police showed up, demons would leave immediately, some magic would be done and the police would leave without a clue that the bar was a haunt for demons. Xander was the only human that the demons fully understood and respected. They knew he was with the NSWC and that he would kill them if they either killed an innocent or let the world know of their presence. Xander had actually made friends with some of the nicer demons in D.C.

The entire NCIS team had frozen when they got an eyeful of the Fushna'k. Behind Xander, Tony muttered horrified, "good god." Everyone was stunned, except for Xander and Spike. They leapt into the fray in an instant after judging the situation. Since they had each fought together over the years, they knew each others fighting styles, although Xander's had changed with his time at the NSWC training compound.

Spike rushed forward with a whoop. He launched a flurry of punches at the Fushna'k's face and danced out of its furious grasp. The vampire crouched then sprang up, delivering a punishing blow to the Fushna'k's gut with his foot as he jumped over its head. As the demon turned toward him with a growl, Xander dove and kicked the things feet out from under it. It landed with a thump, making tables rattle and cups shake. Before it could regain its footing, Xander whipped a heavy tarnished blade from his boot. Xander crouched and stabbed the Fushna'k under the chin, in its weak point.

It shuddered slightly, let out a pained wail and dark blue blood started to seep from the wound. When Xander drew the blade from the thick flesh, it was covered in gore and the blood began to flow faster. Spike stuck out a hand and Xander took it gratefully. The vampire hauled him from his position over the body easily then said with a grin, "well, you've improved. You could've let me wale on him a bit more." He added ruefully.

With a glance at Gibbs and the team, who still had their guns drawn and ready, Xander turned toward Willy as he came rushing from behind the bar. It startled the NCIS agents from their shocked state and reacted instantly with all weapons trained on the bar owner. Xander looked sharply at them and signaled for the firearms to be lowered. It was never a good idea to bring guns into a demon bar, and since Buffy had been shot by Warren once, Xander was wary of them. He did carry one, but was always the last to draw his. Gibbs still seemed stunned and he followed the order without question.

"Common man. He wasn't going to… oh. Um, hi there Xander…Spike… Never mind." Before the short man could make his escape, Spike reached out and grabbed him roughly by the collar and lifted him bodily off the ground. Willy made a choked sound as he swung from the unbreakable grip. He looked ridiculous swinging a foot or so off the ground and he knew it.

"Hey there Willy. It's been awhile, hasn't it?" Spike grinned at the man. Willy turned white and started to sweat.

"Spike…" Xander murmured warningly. The vampire just turned his smile on Xander. Before either could continue, the front doors burst open with a blast of sunlight and noise. Spike was forced to scramble backwards out of the light. He dropped Willy with a hiss when the man slammed his elbow on Spike's wrist. Willy wriggled free with surprising agility but Ziva caught him before he could disappear into the sewers. Xander smiled gratefully at the Israeli women; she glared back coldly.

A British voice reached their ears and Xander turned his head to stare incredulously at Giles and Buffy as they walked through the doors.

Well, this just keeps getting better and better, Xander thought to himself wryly.

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**Whatcha' think? Love, hate, want to eat pie (sorry, that's just my thing at the moment.)? Please review, that's all I ask.**


	2. Release

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WOW! You people sure like this fic! I've got over 40 faves already! That's just freaking awesome. Just one thing, if you do check this out, please review because there's over 600 hits but only 13 reviews. It kinda makes me sad. So please, just R&R!

**Anyway, thank you to everyone who reviewed, you guys all get virtual cookies. Hope you like this chappy and let me know what you think :D**

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Xander POV

Buffy and Giles walked over to Xander, identical smiles on their faces. Without saying a word, Buffy hugged Xander and Spike (leaving the vampire looking slightly stunned) and Giles hugged Xander as well. He shook hands with Spike and Xander could tell not much had changed in that relationship over the past few years.

"It's good to see you guys again. What are you doing in D.C?" Xander asked the pair. The look they shared was enough to tell him that whatever they were doing here was on business and couldn't be discussed here. Xander nodded in acknowledgement and an entire conversation passed between the four in seconds.

"Who the hell are you people?" Gibbs demanded as he strode over to the group. His face was livid and Xander could see he was furious. _I guess the shock from seeing a demon has worn off, _Xander thought to himself. This should be interesting. Before anyone could answer, Gibbs' phone rang. A muscle under his eye ticked as he glared at the screen.

"Yes?" Gibbs snapped when he opened the phone. Xander couldn't here the answer but whatever it was had Buffy and Spike grinning. Stupid enhanced hearing.

Gibbs stared at his phone in shock before closing it viciously. Xander's boss looked like he wanted to hurl the phone at the wall (but he didn't) and his moves were clipped as he shoved the cell back into its holder. Gibbs turned to Spike and spoke angrily. "You are free to go." Spike grinned at the agent before nodding to Xander, Buffy and Giles.

"Later, Xander-boy, G-man, Buffy." He lifted a finger in salute to Buffy, causing her to laugh quietly, and he turned and darted to the back of the bar, into the sewers.

"Boss, what are you doing?" Tony asked. He had stopped staring at the body of the Fushna'k demon and had walked over cautiously. McGee had followed, but he was still green around the gills.

"Vance ordered us to release the subject." Gibbs nearly spat out. Tony looked shocked and McGee's attention snapped to his boss.

"Willow works fast. That might even be a record for her." Buffy murmured quietly and Xander found himself smiling from ear to ear. It seemed that his oldest friend had just saved Spike from some uncomfortable questioning.

Gibbs whipped his around to Buffy as she spoke. He stuck his face in front of the Slayer and demanded, "What do you know about this?" He tried using his patented glare on her but, of course, he didn't know that a Slayer's glare could make a demon tremble in fear. That was the truth; Xander had seen Buffy do that exact thing on a Grahlb demon a few years ago. It was pretty impressive.

Buffy merely giggled at Gibbs' glare. She leaned around him and waved at Willy, who was still held in Ziva's ninja grip. "Hi Willy!" She said cheerfully. Gibbs looked positively stunned at Buffy ignoring him and Xander had to fight back a laugh at the expression on his boss' face.

"I'm sorry! I haven't introduced myself. I'm Rupert Giles and this is my… partner, Buffy Summers. We run the an academy for girls." Xander had to snicker at Buffy's title. Yes, Buffy and Giles had come up with the NSWS together, mostly because he was the only living watcher (other then Wesley, but he had died awhile ago) and she was the longest living Slayer. It was fitting that they ran the NSWC and it worked for them.

Xander barely heard Tony mutter, "What kind of a name is Buffy?" and he tensed. Xander also saw a small amount of panic flit over Giles' face. The one thing that Buffy still had a problem with was people making fun of her name. All of Buffy's laughter that had been evident vanished instantly and she took one menacing step toward DiNozzo. Tony took a frightened step backwards, fear in his eyes. Ziva released Willy, who quickly vanished behind the bar, and she slowly drew her weapon; ready to defend her partner. Xander knew that Buffy wouldn't hurt Tony, but freaking out NCIS agents wasn't a very good idea.

"Its my name. Do you have a problem with that?" Buffy asked Tony, keeping her voice soft and soothing. Xander wasn't fooled for a second. Taking a deep breath and thinking of a prayer, Xander stepped in front of the Slayer.

"Easy there Buffster. We don't want to hurt our friendly neighbor hood agent, now would we?" Instantly, Buffy's anger vanished and her perkiness returned. "Oops." She murmured to Tony. Giles and Xander let out identical sighs of relief. Ziva reluctantly holstered her sidearm and approached cautiously.

"Oh right. The reason we are here is because we have orders from the president for us to take over your crime scene." Giles produced a folded sheet of paper from his tweed jacket and handed it to Gibbs. The older agent unfolded the paper and stared at it for a good five minutes. Then he handed it to Tony, Ziva and McGee, who stared at it as well. Then they all lifted their heads and stared at Buffy and Giles. Xander nearly doubled over from holding his laughter. He knew the situation wasn't funny, but this was just how he was wired. And the team's expressions were priceless!

"It seems that everything is in order." Gibbs spoke so calmly that Xander did a double take. His boss looked perfectly at ease but he kept glancing at Xander. That's when he realized he was in for a major interrogation and his stomach sank. Gibbs was like a dog on a bone. He wouldn't give it up until it was done.

Giles studied Gibbs for a moment before nodding. "Very well. We will follow you to the naval base. We need to have a word with your director." He nodded at Xander, as did Buffy, before his friends headed out the door. The instant they were outside, Gibbs snapped, "Dinozzo, McGee, Ziva, take the truck back. Do not take any of the evidence; it's to be left with the academy people. Harris, you're with me." Then he turned and strode out to the car. Xander gave a weary sigh, dreading what was coming. He didn't look at any of the team as he passed, but he felt their looks as he walked.

Once outside, Xander noticed that Giles was conferring with the crime scene techs. Whatever he had said caused the lead tech to turn and yell for the other to pack up and move out. Buffy was nowhere in sight.

Xander walked as slow as he could to where Gibbs was waiting, but he couldn't put this off forever. He opened the door and as soon as his butt hit the seat, the interrogation started.

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**Whatcha think?**


	3. Post Interogation, Pre Explanation

**Wow, I freaking love you guys! When I checked my emails, I freaked when I saw how many reviews I got. I swear I did a happy dance. This fic has gotten over 1800 hits and 25 reviews and is deffinitaly one of my best. Actually, I is my best. So I want to thank every single person that has reviewed and commented. What you say keeps me going! :D**

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Xander POV

Xander sat at his desk, feeling slightly queasy. The questions had been hurled at him without a pause and Gibbs never once waited for more then a second between asking something else. Xander knew exactly how good his boss was at breaking subjects in interrogation and fortunately he had never been on the wrong end of Gibbs' wrath. But now he understood how Gibbs was so good. He got under your skin, veered off track before hurtling right back to the original question and was very good at reading people.

The one thing that Gibbs had gnawed at was how the heads of an academy for girls got the authority to take over a crime scene. Xander had answered as best he could without revealing anything. By the time they had arrived at the naval base, his boss was still pissed and Xander hadn't disclosed any information. Growing up with a Slayer and then spending a year teaching a whole group of them had taught Xander how to keep secrets and answer questions without actually answering. He was supremely grateful for that now.

Xander looked up from his computer when Tony, McGee and Ziva filed in. They all shot him odd looks as they sat at their desks. Xander just looked back blandly. Eventually they stopped staring, but he could feel eyes on him every so often. He sighed. Gibbs looked up from his paper work to glare it him before returning to what he was doing.

"Agent Gibbs, agent Harris, could you come up to my office for a moment." Vance spoke from close to Tony's desk. When Gibbs glanced up, he motioned with one finger for them to follow him. Xander stood up with a quiet groan. His boss brushed past him without a word. Xander groaned again and followed. He ignored McGee's stunned stare and Tony and Ziva's accusing looks as he walked after Vance. No one said a word on the way to the director's office.

Walking inside, Xander was slightly disconcerted to see a very worried Abby sitting at the conference table, chewing on her bottom lip. What could Vance want the forensic scientist here for?

"Take a seat." Vance murmured and gestured to the empty chairs. Xander sat next to Abby and another bolt of worry shot through him when she didn't even glance his way. Abby was one of his favorite people at NCIS and they were usually the best of friends. Xander didn't know if was because she reminded him a bit of Willow or if it was because she was just a lovable person. When you got past the gothic suff (which of course hadn't bothered Xander a bit), the Nuns bowling team and Bert the Hippo, Abby was amazing. Those were some of the best things about her. What could she know that would make her not even acknowledge his presence?

"Earlier today, your team was called to the case of a John Doe in Quantico, is that right Agent Gibbs?" Vance's voice was clipped and formal, betraying no emotion.

Gibbs answered with an equally empty tone. "Yes, sir."

"And while you were on scene, you met one Mr. Giles and Ms. Summers, who had the proper documentation to let them take our crime scene. I also called and informed you that you were to follow their orders. Is that correct?" The odd detachment and obviously answered questions that were asked confused Xander. What was going on?

"Yes." Gibbs muttered.

"Then why is it that when I asked Ms. Scuito to look up Mr. Giles and Ms. Summers, she finds that they have some of the highest military clearance, the academy they run for girls is top secret and that when we ask around, we are told not to look any further before being shut out?" As Vance finished speaking, he turned his head to look Xander directly in the eye.

Instinctively, Xander fell back onto the dry humor and quick wit that had helped him survive Sunnydale. "Gee Director, maybe they don't like people prying into their files." Once he remembered where he was, Xander tensed as he waited for the headslap that would usually follow his glib answer. Fortunately, or unfortunately, for him, Gibbs was at the other end of the table. The older agent growled softly. Vance's nostrils flared at Xander's response.

Luckily, the director's intercom beeped before Vance could respond. "Sir, there's a Mr. Giles here saying he would like to speak with you. Should I send him in?" The assistant chirp cheerfully.

Vance didn't take his eyes off Xander as he answered. "It's alright. Send him in." A few moments later the door clicked opened and Giles strode in. He paused in the doorway and studied everyone before walking to Vance and extending a hand.

"Director Vance. I don't believe we've had the chance to meet before. My name is Rupert Giles."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Giles. Would you mind taking a seat?" Vance asked, his voice deceptively calm. Giles just smiled and nodded, then sat beside Gibbs. He smiled encouragingly to Xander, who grinned back, and opened his mouth to speak.

"Mr. Giles, do you know why you are here?" Vance asked quietly, purposely interrupting anything Giles had been about to say. The tension in the room kept rising and Xander noticed that Abby was constantly fidgeting and Gibbs had a permanent scowl plastered to his face. It was odd that the forensic scientist hadn't said anything at all.

"Yes. Earlier today, my partner and I showed up unannounced at Agent Gibbs' crime scene and since we had the authority too, we took custody of said crime scene and you've called my here to verify our authenticity. Is that correct?" Giles kept his voice level and pleasant.

Vance had to swallow a few times before he could speak. "Yes, that is true. But why did our finest forensic scientist and computer tech find almost nothing on you and the so-called academy you run?"

Giles and Xander shared a secret look. The older man's eyes were somber as he waited for Xander's answer and his patients spoke volumes. Xander waited a few beats before giving a small nod in his friend's direction.

Giles took a deep breath before saying, "Because our academy is a branch of the NSWC, one of the most top secret agencies in the world."

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**Luv ya!**

**~lazerwolf314**


	4. Terrible Choice

**WOW! 3 630 hits, 35 faves and 90 alerts! That's just amazing. And it's been spamming my email, but I really don't care :)! Thank you so much.**

**I wrote this in under an hour, so please ignore any typos. And I'm sorry to say that I'm leaving you with a cliffy. I'm cruel like that.**

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Xander POV

A look of utter confusion flitted across Vance's face at the mention of the NSWC. Xander felt a glimmer of relief go through him. Giles sat back, pleased with the reaction. It was well known that if any part of any federal organization (all of the human run ones. Of course demon societies knew about the NSWC.) found out about the NSWC without permission from their countries president or government official, they would have to be taken in for an extreme debrief.

"Xander, you're looking very well. I heard about the incident a few weeks ago with Rhona and she told me that you weren't doing your best. Is everything alright?" Giles asked, concerned. He leaned forward and was completely ignoring the others around him.

Xander decided to have a little fun with Gibbs. "I'm fine, dad." He muttered, pouting like a petulant child. The looks on Abby, Gibbs and Vance's faces were worth it. Gibbs sputtered and choked as he tried to say something.

Giles smiled, well aware of what Xander was doing, but not minding a bit. He knew the young man enjoyed finding humour in any situation; it was what had helped him survive the hellmouth.

Vance finally managed to speak. "What is the NSWC, Mr. Giles?" He demanded, refusing to look at Xander.

"I'm afraid that's confidential information, director." Giles replied calmly.

"Agent Harris, if you have any information regarding the case that Agent Gibbs was called to earlier this morning, that you have not shared, it will be considered an obstruction of justice." Vance looked Xander dead in the eye. "And I am not above charging one of my own to get to the truth."

"Director, you're sounding more and more like Gibbs every day. Have you been practicing in front of the mirror?" Xander asked, pointedly avoiding the elephant in the room. Vance's nostrils flared and his eyes narrowed to slits. Xander could also see that Gibbs wanted to pummel him into oblivion right there and then.

"Harris-" A loud beeping interrupted him. It took a few seconds to realize that it was coming from Xander's batphone. He blinked in utter surprise then looked up at Giles. Usually all of the transmissions he got through this phone came from the G-man and yet Giles seemed just as stunned as he was. Fishing the phone from his jacket pocket and tuning Vance's angry hiss of frustration out, Xander flipped open and stared at the display screen.

_Severe fight with casualties, in tunnels. Somewhere near Quantico. Try bar entrance. Many dead or missing and powerful demon on loose. Don't know how long we can last. Hurry. –Buffy. _Xander tore his eyes away from the screen and met Giles'. The older man looked confused and worried. He knew that if someone had contacted Xander before himself would mean that something terrible had happened somewhere in D.C.

"Director, I have to go." Xander stood, forcing his nerves under control. "G-man, how many came with you?" Giles knew instantly what he was talking about.

"Fifteen." He answered. "What's happening?" He asked.

Xander was already heading to the door. He just looked Giles in the eye and conveyed a wordless answer that only a survivor from Sunnydale would understand. It was bad.

"Agent Harris, if you walk out this door, you will no longer be part of NCIS!" Vance yelled and Gibbs stood to intercept him.

"Xander, don't do this." Abby cried, reaching out to grab his arm. He hesitated for only an instant. He knew that he would never get over losing his position and friends here and he couldn't bear to hurt Abby, but Buffy and the Scoobies came first. Xander continued moving and used an old trick Buffy had taught him of using the opponent's weight against them. He ducked under Gibbs' outstretched hand and kicked the back of his boss's knee. Gibbs' legs buckled and Xander swung him to the side, taping him on the neck for good measure. He fell against the wall with a solid thump and Xander hurried through the door with Giles on his heels.

They practically ran out of the main office and down the stairs. Neither said a word; it would wait for a place without others around. Xander paused only to go to his desk in the bullpen and pull out a small dagger, his side arm and a bottle of holy water he kept in the top drawer for emergencies.

"Xander, what are you doing?" Ziva asked worriedly. Tony sat at his desk with McGee behind him. They had been going over paperwork when Xander had come down. Xander felt a pang of grief as he realized that the next time he saw his friends, they wouldn't trust him anymore. He couldn't answer them; instead he kept going and looked up to see Gibbs staring down at him from the balcony. He met the angry gaze for a split second before turning and getting onto the elevator with Giles.

It was only when they were outside and off of the naval base in Giles' car, did Xander show him the message from Buffy. Giles paled and stepped on the gas. The car was silent for a long time as they raced through the city.

"Xander, I'm truly sorry about what happened. I know you found peace and a sense of purpose at NCIS." Giles murmured.

"G-man, can we do this later? Please?" Giles studied him from the corner of his eye before nodding. Many long, tense moments later, they screeched to a halt by Willy's bar. By now, the crime scene tape was torn down and the bar was back open for business.

"Does Buffy have everyone with her?" Xander asked as he got out of the car.

"No, some of the slayers were sent to check into a hotel. Amy, Miranda and Holly, I think." Giles replied as he reached into the trunk and pulled out a short sword. Xander was once again fascinated by the way Giles could remember all of the slayers names. But the feeling quickly faded back into dread.

Both men gave each other a short nod before turning and heading into the bar. They walked straight through without a pause, ignoring the stares from the demons and scatter of humans. Something in their expressions stopped Willy from saying anything as they passed him. Xander entered to sewers first, crouching with dagger and gun in either hand. The gun wouldn't kill the demon necessarily, but it would certainly cause it pain and distract it. He could hear echoing shouts coming from the left, so he took off that way, Giles running beside him. It was only when they rounded a corner a short while later did they see the damage.

* * *

**A/N: Don't worry! I'm not as evil as you think. There will be more of the NCIS team later on. I promise. :) And, of course, there will be a twist. But that's for later.**


	5. Underground War Zone

**The support from you readers is truly amazing. It's astounding the amount of people who have read, commented, faved and alerted this fic. Thank you so much.**

**Well, this is another one of my chapters that just jumped from my head in a few hours. So, if you see typos, I do apologize.**

* * *

Xander POV

The concrete walls of the sewers were cracked and crumbling in places, smoke was pouring from a small fire that was growing in a corner, sparks flew from broken electrical cables and water poured from busted pipes. Part of the tunnel was closed off, blocked by broken beams of metal and chunks of rock. The floor was covered in a mixture of water, blood and faintly glowing purple goo. Xander noticed the first body a few steps deeper into the tunnel.

She was splayed face down, legs crushed underneath a pile of rock. Water had already drenched her, and Xander could see the bloody gash that extended from her neck to hip. Her face was turned away, but he could see the small tattoo of an eagle on her upper left arm and the distinctive red and blue streaks in her hair. It was Shelly, one of Xander's favourite of the young slayers. He remembered that she had had a lot of spine and that she stuck up for others. She would've made an amazing leader. Xander gagged a looked away.

Giles put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. "The time for grieving is later. Buffy needs our help." Xander closed his eyes, paused for a moment and then nodded, reopening his eyes and heading deeper into the war zone. Within seconds, they were drenched from the pipe's spray of water, and they were covered in soot and ash. They passed four more bodies before reaching the part of the tunnel that had collapsed.

"Is anyone back there?" Xander shouted, straining to see through some metal bars. The small fire had sputtered out under the spray of water and now the air was filled with acrid black smoke. He blinked water and smoke from his eyes and thought he caught a glimpse of movement. A voice floated to them a second later.

"Xander! Thank god. We need help." It was Buffy. Her voice was strained and Xander could barely make out the barely concealed pain in it. To almost anyone else, the pain would've been unnoticeable. But Xander had seen her when she had been injured too many times to count, so he now knew what to look for.

"Buffy, are you hurt badly?" Giles asked, already starting to shift some of the beams.

There was a pause before she answered. "Not as bad as some of the others. You need to hurry." There was pleading note in her voice, along with worry. Giles and Xander instantly went to work on creating a pathway through the rubble.

It took almost a half an hour for them to manoeuvre enough debris out of the way for them to crawl to the other side. Xander went first and discovered that it was very difficult in the small space. But he continued, and heard Giles follow him. Once he was through, he was helped out of the small hole by Rhona. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears, but she seemed to have only minor injuries. He stood and looked around.

Buffy was crouched a few feet away next to Kennedy, who was bleeding profusely from a large stab wound in her right leg. They had already tied a tourniquet around her leg, but it didn't seem to be helping much. Rose was sitting with her back pressed to the tunnel wall, cradling her left arm. Xander could see the bone sticking through the skin.

"Buffy, what happened?" He asked, keeping a wary eye out for anything that looked like a threat.

"Can we just get these girls out of here?" Buffy snapped, turning to look up at him. That's when Xander noticed that her arm was dislocated and there was a large purpling bruise currently spreading across the left side of her face and continuing under her shirt. "Later, Xander." She hissed when he opened his mouth to say something.

"How many are missing?" Giles asked, helping Rose to her feet and supporting a nearly unconscious Sarah. Buffy looked around.

"Eleven, but I don't know how many are dead." Buffy grew very quiet as she finished speaking. Deciding it would be best to get out of here before asking anything else; Xander looked around for a way out that didn't involve crawling through a nearly airless tunnel.

"I'll go look for a way out." He said and walked away. Spotting a faint light coming from a side tunnel, Xander drew his dagger and approached cautiously, not wanting to be caught off guard by anything.

Rounding the corner, he discovered the light was coming from above him, from a grate in the ceiling. He jogged over to the ladder and began to climb; keeping an eye out for anything that looked suspicious.

Lifting the grate a few inches, Xander peered out and discovered that he was in the middle of a back ally, a few blocks away from Willy's. He closed the grate and climbed back down.

"Found a way out." Xander cried as he raced back to Giles and the slayers. He began to lead them to the side tunnel and helped the injured out. For some reason, Rhona seemed to be the only one of the slayers not hurt in anyway other than a few minor cuts and scrapes. Xander mulled that over as he lifted Rose from the sewers, but realized that now really wasn't the time to worry about it and that her strength would be needed. So he filed the info to the back of his head for later.

It was midnight out and the darkness seemed to leap at them from every corner as they struggled down the street. Giles was nearly carrying Sarah, Buffy was helping Rose along as best as she could and Rhona was carrying Kennedy. Xander led the way, knowing these streets better than the others and also knowing the shortest route to the nearest hospital. It didn't look like Kennedy was going to make it if they didn't get help soon and Xander knew that that would destroy Willow, so he went as fast as he could without leaving his friends behind.

It was only when he spotted the glowing lights of Quantico's naval hospital, did he breathe easier. The ER was (thankfully) the closest, and the mere sight of it seemed to give everyone a second wind. They crossed the street, and through the doors of the brightly lit hospital. Most movement in the ER ceased when they came in; everyone staring. Xander looked down at himself and nearly laughed. He was sopping wet, streaks of the girls' blood stained his jacket and his face and hands were nearly black with soot. Giles looked even worse, having had nearly carried Sarah all the way here and then, of course, there were the gravely injured women.

But the reverie was snapped when Rhona spoke. "My friend. I think she's dying." She murmured, staring down at Kennedy's pale face. Doctors rushed forward instantly, taking Kennedy and starting treatment immediately. That's when Xander finally allowed himself to relax a tiny bit.

* * *

**A/N: Well… I'm still a cruel person. I apologize. Anyway, please let me know if that was way too morbid, because I kind of thought it was. Oh well. Just one thing. I set up a poll on my profile asking people how the NCIS team should find out about vampires, demons and whatnot. So please vote! Whatever you chose will help me out. ^.^**


	6. Wounds

**I'm well and truly sorry that it took so long for me to fork out this update. Seriously, apologies. I meant to get it out two months ago, but stuff happened and later my muse decided to be a bitch for awhile. But here it is! My thanks to everyone who has reviewed and been following this; it'd be dead with out you guys. Love you all! :))**

**A/N: This is very choppy chapter, and it's a bit hard to follow, but it's mostly a precurser to the following chapters. Well, that's what I wanted. Please comment and review, because they feed my muse and generally make her happy!**

* * *

Tony POV  
_NCIS Headquarters._

The bullpen lay in a tense silence, interrupted every so often by a phone ringing. There wasn't any of the usual banter passing between Tony, Ziva and McGee; instead they worked silently on the cold cases that Gibbs had assigned them earlier. Xander's desk was empty and it was already two hours after the beginning of their shift. Tension was humming throughout the desks and you could all but see a cloud of it hovering above Gibbs.

Gibbs' phone rang for the first time since the beginning of shift. Tony, Ziva and McGee all paused to watch him wearily as he answered.

"Gibbs." His voice was curt and his face remained blank as whoever was on the other reported whatever it was. Setting the phone down forcefully, Gibbs got to his feet and grabbed his things.

"Grab your gear. Dead Marine in Maryland." He ordered without elaborating; He walked swiftly to the elevator, so quick that they had to nearly run to catch up with him.

* * *

_3 hours ago._

"_Buffy, why don't you send most of the slayers to my place?" Xander suggested quietly. They were standing just outside of Kennedy's room, watching over her and the others. "You know the hospital isn't going to let all six of you stay here, especially in your conditions. You know how they are about sterilization."_

"_Xander, we can't just leave her here. She's one of ours." Buffy whispered quietly, her dark eyes meeting his own steadily._

"_Giles and I will stay and wait for Willow. You should go and get cleaned up. All of you should. Maybe some of the missing will be there too. My place is the only place for them to go." Xander told her, laying a supportive hand on her un-injured shoulder. He could see Buffy wavering and knew his point was making its way across._

"_Alright. But we'll come back as soon as possible."_

"_No argument here. Be safe." The two friends hugged, Xander being careful of her still healing side, and then Buffy turned and stuck her head into Kennedy's room._

"_Common guys. We're going to Xander's to get cleaned up and eat. We will come back right after." Buffy ordered. There was mumbled complaints, but everyone was too exhausted to argue. Amy, Miranda and Holly had appeared shortly after the Slayers had arrived at the hospital. They had been the ones sent to find a hotel, and had been completely shocked at the events of the past few hours. Xander could tell they felt horrible about not being there to fight with their sisters, but at the moment he was just glad that the body count wasn't higher._

* * *

"Boss, what about Harris?" Tony inquired as they sped to the crime scene. Even after this whole debacle, he still had a soft spot for the young agent. The two had been friends since Xander had first become the probie agent on Gibbs' team. And he had a sense of humour that could top Tony's own on a good day.

"What about him?" Gibbs grumbled as he whipped the wheel around; weaving in and out of traffic.

"Are you going to call him?"

"No." When Tony opened his mouth to continue, the look he received shut him up quick. He endured the rest of the trip in silence.

* * *

_2 ½ hours ago._

_Xander sat in Kennedy's room next to the bed, holding her hand as he waited. Opposite of him, Giles stared off into space and was clearly perturbed by something when he took off his glasses and cleaned them… for about the fifteenth time since Buffy and the other slayers had left. The rapid clicking of heeled boots coming down the hall along with the frantic voice of a nurse had them both look up._

_Willow came striding into the room, anger, and fear etched across her features. An orderly was desperately trying to stop the petit woman, but it was no use. When she saw Kennedy laying on the bed, pale, pasty and unconscious, she froze her mouth opening in a silent gasp. Giles quietly ushered the orderly out of the room, murmuring an explanation in her ear. Xander rose and cautiously made is way around the bed to his best friend._

_As soon as his hand touched her arm, she seemed to fold in on herself and leaned heavily against him. She pressed her face to his shoulder and took a few shuddering breaths. Murmuring soothing words in her ear, Xander gently rubbed her back. After a short while, she regained her balance and hugged him tightly. Releasing her arm from his grasp, Willow walked cautiously around the bed to where Xander had just vacated the seat. Sitting down, Willow slowly picked up Kennedy's hand in hers, holding it as gently as a newborn child. She pressed her face to it with eyes closed tightly. Xander instinctively knew he had to let her be, so he turned and exited the room. She'd ask for an explanation later, but for now, she needed her space._

* * *

"Lieutenant Tammy Walker." Tony said, reading off her licence. The face that looked back at him was of a young woman in her early thirties with shoulder length black hair and dark eyes. She was quiet attractive, but that was no longer the case. She had been beaten brutally before being stabbed and eviscerated. He looked down at the body sprawled in the back room of a small rundown book store and felt a stir of pity. McGee was crouched next to the body, taking photos while Ziva interviewed the store owner and Gibbs was jotting down a few notes in a small notebook. Everything was normal, just a regular crime scene that they working but in a second, that changed.

A loud click sounded behind Tony, a bit to the left. As he whirled to see what it was, his hand dropping to his sidearm, a large dark form bolted past him with a roar. It all happened so fast, he had barely time to think. The man raced out of the bookcase, clearly from a hidden room, and charged McGee. Since he was crouched, he didn't have enough time to react and was just reaching for his gun when the man tackled him, midbody. Ziva was already running towards them, her gun drawn and just about to fire when they both hit the ground and rolled. By now, Tony had taken aim and simultaneously, he, Gibbs and Ziva all took their shot. Each impact made his body jerk and small _umf _left him. His limp form rolled to the side, crazed eyes slowly glazing over.

"McGee, you alright?" Gibbs asked, carefully keeping his sights trained on the man, Ziva at his side. A small gurgling was his answered. Every eye instantly whipped to the younger agent and the knife protruding from his abdomen.

* * *

**Haha, yes, I am evil. Please don't hurt me! Everything will soon be revealed. *cue creepy music* :))**

**~lazerwolf314**


	7. Clawed

**As promised, I have more of the Slayers in this chapter. (I found this really difficult to write and I apologize in advance if the characters seem a bit OOC. I tried my best to get them right, it just never seemed to click… sorry). Anywho, here ya go. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

There was a split second of silence as everyone stared at McGee in muted horror. He seemed just as stunned as the team as he regarded the knife with an almost childlike curiosity. Then the moment was broken as Ziva leapt forward and dropped to her knees next to him. She placed her hands over the flowing wound, carefully avoiding the knife. They all knew it would be a lot worse if it was taken out.

Gibbs quickly cuffed the man and searched for any I.D, not caring if he broke protocol. Ducky had Palmer run out to the truck for the first aid kit, (not that it would do any good, Tony thought darkly) and then the ME began to help Ziva keep the pressure on the wound. Tony had already taken out his cell and called 911. After a hasty conversation with the operator, he hung up and crouched by Probie's head. He didn't look at the knife, just watched McGee's pale face and listened to Ziva murmur soothing words to him. When Probie's breath hitched, she stopped and turned her head away. Tony wished there was something he could do.

Fuzzy blurs of swirling colors were dancing through his vision and McGee idly wondered where they came from. He caught a movement out of the corner of his eye and sluggishly turned toward it.

"Ziva, wazrong?" He slurred sleepily. His limbs felt heavy and strangely disjointed. A thought kept nagging the back of his mind, but whenever he tried to focus on it, it flitted away. He thought it had something to do with a gun and a body and some books… His lower body alternated between pulses of white hot pain and numbness.

"It's nothing McGee. Don't worry about it. Just stay with us." She replied, looking down at him with the most reassuring smile she could muster. Her ears suddenly tuned to the sound of an approaching siren. Looking up, she met Gibbs' eyes and saw a dangerous combination of anger and a trace of fear. The same emotions were very likely echoed in her own. When Gibbs realized that she was watching him, a shutter came down in his eyes, blocking all emotions.

"Ah'k." McGee mumbled absently, letting his head rest back on the cold floor. The siren was now wailing outside the door but he didn't seem to hear it. The sound was cut off with a choke and left a resonating silence in its wake.

Tony and Palmer stepped back when the two EMT's rushed in. The medics dropped beside McGee, careful avoid the body of the attacker as they did so. In a flurry of movement, they had wrapped even more gauze over the wound and moved Probie onto a stretcher. Ducky was speaking in rapid medical jargon to one of the EMT's while the other helped Ziva keep steady pressure.

"We can risk you moving. It looks like you are plugging an artery with your hand." The medic told Ziva. Her face slowly went paler then before as the weight of her position struck home. She literally had McGee's life in her hands. Nodding resolutely, she maneuvered her way onto the stretcher, one leg on either side of Probie's torso to keep steady. Under any other circumstance, Tony would've made a joke about it, but there was no humor in the situation.

"We have to take him to Quantico Naval Hospital-"

"Why? Maryland is closer. We don't have time!" Gibbs growled, taking a menacing step toward the EMT that had spoken. He held his ground (in either bravery or stupidity, Tony couldn't tell) and the other medic retreated from the room, wheeling McGee into the waiting ambulance.

"I understand perfectly your concern sir, but Maryland had a water pipe leak in the surgical wing and they've halted all surgical procedings. Everyone is being sent to other hospitals. Quantico is the least clogged with runoff from them, so your agent will get the treatment he needs much sooner if we go to the naval hospital. Do you understand?" He demanded.

Gibbs blinked, unused to being put in his place. "Alright." The EMT nodded and rushed out to his waiting ambulance. Tony made a move to follow him, but Gibbs stuck out an arm.

"No, I'll go with them. I need you to stop at Harris' place. Tell him to get his ass to the hospital ASAP. Ducky, Palmer, we'll meet you there." Tony opened his mouth to argue, but a glare silenced his protest. "Yes boss."

* * *

Arriving at Xander's door fifteen minutes later, Tony found himself staring down at the Buffy chick from the other day. Behind her, he could see a group of teenage girls, all with various cuts, bruises and bandages, sleeping throughout Harris's apartment. Noticing his stares, she pushed him back a step and pulled the door shut behind her. Then she cocked an eyebrow and regarded him with cool indifference.

"What do you want?" She asked coolly. Tony blinked and returned to reality.

"Uh, is Harris here?"

"No. Why?"

Debating with himself, Tony decided to tell her flat out. See if it would shake her. "One of our friends has been injured. Our boss sent me to get him. Is he here?" He repeated.

She shook her head. "He's unavailable. I'll tell him you stopped by. And let your boss know we are praying for your agent." With that, she opened the door and slipped through, shutting it smartly in his face.

Leaning back against the door, Buffy pulled out her cell and dialed Xander. Sarah opened her eyes and blearily blinked sleep from her eyes. She had been sleeping on the couch and had a sleep line from the small pillow denting the side of her face. There was confusion in her eyes as she looked up at the lead Slayer. Buffy simply help up a finger and pointed to her ear. Sarah nodded and rested her head against the pillow, watching Buffy with eyes to old in for her young 18 years of age.

"Xander, you might want to call your boss… Because something happened to one of your team mates… The DiNozzo guy stopped by. Yeah, we'll be by in about an hour. Later." She clicked her phone shut and just looked at it.

"Everything alright Buffy?" Sarah asked softly, concern etched in her voice. She sat up carefully, cautiously keeping a hand to her head. Thankfully, she only had a minor concussion.

"Yeah, it's just something to do with Xander's work. I guess you can get up if you want. We'll go back to see Kennedy in about an hour." Buff replied kindly. A small smile lit up Sarah's face and she nodded.

A soft knock interrupted them. Buffy sighed. "I really hope it isn't that Tony guy again." She mumbled softly, earning a small laugh from Sarah.

Opening the door, Buffy was stunned when two bloody forms tumbled in, landing in a heap at her feet. She instantly shut the door and crouched by them, carefully looking them over. Sarah leapt off the couch and raced over to help her. In her rush, she accidently kicked Holly, who awoke with a growl, but was silenced when she saw the two injured girls sprawled on the floor.

"Buffy…" One of the girls croaked and Buffy could only tell it was Katie by her voice. The right side of her face had nearly been torn off and was so bloody that all Buffy could see was the glazed gleam of her eye.

"I'm right here Katie. I'm not going anywhere. Just stay with me." By this time, Holly had gotten the others awake and they crowded around, handing down towels to blot up the blood. A soft growl sounded, echoing through the silent apartment. Everyone looked around in confusion, even as they grabbed the nearest weapon they could.

"Wait." Buffy said, holding up a hand. Movement halted and they watched silently as she twisted her head back and forth. Then her eyes locked on the second girl. Recognition flashed through the terrified eyes and the growling slowly subsided.

"Buffy." Katie repeated, reaching out to clasp Buffy's hand tightly. "It's coming… You need… need to get... it…" Katie's eyes rolled back into her head and her lungs emptied for the last time.

* * *

**A/N: Really important note. I am searching (and in desperate need) for a beta. If anyo****ne is interested, please pm me. I would be forever grateful! **

**Also, thanks for reading. Luv you forever.**


	8. Watched and Watching

The ride to the hospital was long and filled with tension. As Ziva perched precariously next to McGee, his blood staining her hands, she couldn't stop her mind from wandering. So many thoughts were whirling in her mind, everything seemed jumbled. This wasn't supposed to happen; her family wasn't supposed to die while she held their insides on the inside.

The medic had done his best to make it as comfortable for the both of them, but McGee was so far out, it didn't matter and Ziva had retreated into the cold, blank place in the back of her heart. After a few tries, the medic had realized this and given up, asking her a few questions about what she could feel beneath her fingertips from time to time.

The sirens above her echoed with cool detachment as they sped along the highway to the hospital.

* * *

Slumped against the hospital wall, all Xander could feel was exhaustion. It filled his body and gnawed at his bones.

This day had already been too long. And yet it wasn't even noon.

The sick, antiseptic smell of hospital had long ago infiltrated his senses; a constant reminder of what had happened even as his eyes did their best to block it out. Giles had left moments earlier in search of a doctor for information about Kennedy's condition, which was still muddled as of yet. The Watcher had departed silently, only pausing to give Xander a gently clap on the back. The simple contact had been enough to pull him back from the edge, but even so, he was still hovering on the brink of collapse.

The events that had transpired in a mere handful of hours had taken their toll. The worst was the sense of loss that seemed to leach from the pit of his stomach. Part of him knew it was because he had abandoned his team. Gibbs, Tony, McGee, Ziva, Abby and Ducky. In part, they had become his family. And, instead of standing beside them, he was here. Not that he regretted his decision to come to Buffy's aid; Xander would do it again in a heartbeat. It was more of the knowledge that he was deliberately spacing himself from them that burned.

A soft beeping from his pocket had Xander straightening from his slouched position against the wall. He dug out his phone and clicked it open.

"Harris." He replied automatically.

"Xander, you might want to call your boss." Buffy's voice sounded tired and strained.

"Why?" He asked curiously. Since when did Buffy dabble in his work at NCIS?

"Because something happened to one of your team mates."

Xander felt a thrill of cold fear at those words. He prayed that it wasn't bad. "How do you know?"

"The DiNozzo guy stopped by."

Closing his eyes, Xander found once again support in the wall behind him. "Are you coming over?"

"Yeah, we'll be by in about an hour. Later." The line went dead. He felt like hurling it against the wall. But first, he had to call Gibbs.

Then a cold thought sobered Xander further. What if it was Gibbs that had been hurt?

With that in mind, Xander instantly changed tracks and dialed Tony, logic informing him that, if DiNozzo had been at his place, then the cocky agent was alright.

* * *

Staring at the door as it shut smartly in his face, Tony blinked.

Then he turned and made his way out of the building, the urgency of the situation pushing through anger.

As he was opening the door to his car, he felt the back of his neck prickle. Freezing, his hand fell slowly to his weapon, already overtaxed adrenaline jumping into high gear. Alertness swept through and Tony's eyes began to scan the surrounding area. At first, nothing jumped out.

Then his gaze locked on the darkened mouth of an alley between apartment buildings across the street. Gleaming amber eyes peered back at him from just within the grasp of shadows, low to the ground and nearly undetectable. They looked almost like those of a cat, but Tony could faintly make out the slit of a pupil that ran horizontally as opposed to vertically.

Just as he took a step towards the thing, intent on discovering what it was, his phone suddenly shrieked in the silent air.

Jerking slightly, Tony cursed when the creature whirled and vanished. Slidding in through the already opened door of his vehicle, he snapped his phone to his ear.

"DiNozzo."

"Tony, what happened?" At first, Tony couldn't identify who was speaking. The voice was hoarse from exhaustion, practically cracking with it. Then it hit him.

"Xander?"

"Yes. Is everyone alright? What happened?" Xander repeated, this time more urgent and coming perilously close to breaking.

"No. McGee was stabbed." Tony spoke flatly as he jammed the key into the ignition and pulled away from the curb. There was a quick exhale of breath on the end of the line and Tony could almost see Harris' reaction to the words. Even as they had left his mouth, Tony had felt sick bile in the back of his throat.

For a long moment, there was silence. Then Xander asked, "Where is he?"

"Quantico Naval Hospital. They should have just arrived. Meet us there alright?" Tony said softly, his own weariness already creeping in. He simply didn't have the heart to question his team mate, knowing Gibbs would do so, in their boss' way.

"No problem. I'm already there." Xander replied bitterly. Then he hung up, leaving Tony to toss a silent phone to the side and push the car faster than legally allowed, questions and a growing anger towards Xander filling his actions.

* * *

_Wow. I should be kicked. Viciously and multiple times._

_I just realized that it's been over six months since an update._

_I know. I should be belted over the head._

_Anyway, because of my overwhelming anger at myself, I finally got around to finishing this chapter. As well, I can tentatively tell you the next chapter should be done sometime in March. Reviews are love._


	9. Looking Inside

Snapping his phone shut, Xander slumped back against the hospital wall opposite Kennedy's room for the second time in the same day and closed his eyes. Exhaustion rolled over him in a wave and the muscles in his legs shook. He was in desperate need of sleep, but couldn't see the chance for any in the near future.

It was looking more and more like he would have to settle for the sludge the hospital so laughingly dubbed coffee.

Then he would have to go and find Gibbs.

It still hadn't quiet hit him that McGee could've been stabbed; had been stabbed. His team was supposed to be safe.

"You look like crap," a quiet voice told him, drifting across the hall.

Xander's eyes shot open and a wry snort escaped his lips. Willow stared back at him from the doorframe, her eyes dark and fearful, but a small smile graced her features.

"Thanks Will," Xander shot back, stuffing his phone in his pocket as he scraped weary hands across his face.

Pushing off from the door frame, Willow made her way to her best friend's side and rested her head against his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

"One of my team was hurt today," Xander replied tiredly. "And I don't know how badly."

Willow was silent for a long moment before she spoke tentatively. "I think you should go to them."

"I can't leave you by yourself Will," Xander protested, but weakly.

Pulling away from his side, Willow glared up at him, a spark of anger in her eyes. "Xander, look at me," she ordered when he turned his gaze away. She didn't say a word until he finally looked down. "See this?" Willow demanded, lifting the NCIS badge easily from Xander's belt.

Xander blinked at it in surprise, having forgotten it was even on his side. With a pang, he remembered how yesterday morning had gone.

And the realization hit home that, while he would always come to Buffy's side when it was absolutely necessary, his team should come first. Especially after spending so much time away from the Slayer world.

"Yeah Will, I see it," Xander muttered.

"This is who you are now, don't you get it?" Willow told him gently. "Because I see it in you. You've changed. You are Special Agent Harris of NCIS, not just Xander who spent years on the Hellmouth. You fit better with NCIS better than you ever could have with the NSWC. So go. Be with your team."

Xander's mouth dropped open at Willow's soft spoken declaration.

"Where did that come from?" he demanded eventually.

"Hey, don't you forget I have my moments!" she retorted, punching him playfully in the arm.

He bit back a grin and rubbed at it with mock hurt coating his face. She just smirked at him and Xander felt better seeing some of the fear disappear from his friend's eyes. For the moment, the sickening fear for McGee was dissipated and pushed back in his mind.

"Thanks Willow," Xander said, pulling her into a tight hug. She returned it fiercely and Xander was shocked when he felt the warm wetness of Willow's tears seeping through his shirt.

Pulling back sharply, Xander lifted Willow's chin with a finger.

"What is it Will?" he asked, unnerved by the tears streaking the redheads face.

"It's nothing," she said shakily. "Go find your team."

"Don't lie Will. I can see it all over your face. What's wrong?"

"It's just… The doctors told me that there's something hinky in Kennedy's cut. That the edges don't seem to be closing right." With a deep breath, Willow looked away and swiped at the tears. "And as much as I want to, I know I can't do anything. And it's killing me."

"Oh Will, I'm sorry," Xander murmured.

Pulling together a watery smile, Willow just shook her head. "It's fine Xander. You have to go. Besides, Buffy and the others will be here soon. I'll be okay."

Xander searched her face for a long moment before nodding. "Okay Will. But remember that I'm just a phone call away, alright?"

"Yeah, I always know that."

Touching his lips to Willow's forehead, Xander pulled her into one last hug before breaking away and heading down the hallway to the ER, his best chance of finding his team quickly.

"And Xander?" Willow called just as Xander hit the button to the elevator.

When he turned back, he frowned at the pitying look on Willow's face.

"I don't think the others realize that you belong with NCIS now."

Xander could only nod sadly and watch as Willow made her way back into Kennedy's room.

Then he got on the elevator and pushed the button for the ER floor.

.

Gibbs paced the small waiting room outside the surgical wing, too on edge to take a seat next to Ducky, Jimmy or Abby.

Abby had blown into the hospital only moments before, entirely flustered and panicking after receiving word about what had happened. She had demanded to know what had happened, but there was no answer to give, as Gibbs wasn't entirely sure himself. And that was enough to send Gibbs near the edge also.

It had taken Gibbs and Ducky both several long minutes to calm Abby enough for her to take a seat.

And know the waiting room was filled with silence.

The doors to the surgical wing swung open and each pair of eyes swivelled to stare at whoever was approaching.

Stepping through the doors, Ziva rubbed her arm across her brow which was still beaded with sweat after the strain of pressing bloody hands against McGee's side. She froze when she caught sight of all eyes on her.

And then shifted anxiously when each gaze dropped to her blood streaked arms and hands.

"Any word?" Gibbs asked his agent, breaking the painful silence and ignoring the rust red stains as best as he could.

Ziva's dark eyes flicked to Gibbs and he could see the gratefulness echoed in their dark depths. But it dimmed as she spoke. "Nothing." Looking around and studiously ignoring Abby's tear filled stare, Ziva began to make her way down one of the connecting hallways. "I'm going to go…" she trailed off and lifted her hands helplessly.

Just as she headed away, Tony came bursting through the connection hallway and crashed into her. He reached out a steadying hand instinctively and Ziva jerked away. For a fleeting moment, they stared at each other.

The connection was broken when a nursed passed by, mumbling to herself and Ziva ducked her head and hurried away.

Tony looked after her with a mournful look before making his way into the waiting room with the rest of the team.

And was immediately enveloped by Abby in a bone-crushing hug. "It's going to be okay Abs," Tony told her as the forensic guru began to shake.

"How can you be so sure?" she cried into his shoulder.

"It just will be. Okay?"

Sniffling, Abby pulled back and nodded before returning to her seat at Ducky's side.

Moving toward the center of the waiting room, Tony scraped a hand through his hair and sighed. "Is there any news?" he asked, taking a glance at his boss and nearly wincing at the anger that seemed to radiate from the man.

When the collective seated all shook their heads, Tony grimaced and slouched into an empty chair.

"Where's Harris?" Gibbs snapped, frustration racing through his voice.

Tony straightened at the tone but had the grace to look abashed. "He wasn't home. But the Buffy girl and a bunch of girls were asleep at his apartment. And when I called, he said he was already here."

"What?" The simple word spoke volumes.

"He told me he was already here. Then hung up."

Without speaking, Gibbs pulled his phone from his pocket and punched in Harris' number. There was a brief paused as the call connected, then the ringing sounded in his ear. Followed almost instantaneously by the sound of another phone chirping to life nearby.

Gibbs tracked the sound to the person rounding the corner to the waiting room.

Xander absently checked the display on his ringing phone as he headed into the waiting room one of the ER nurses had directed him to.

Slowly, he looked up and met his boss's stormy gaze.

"Hey guys," he said weakly.

There was a shocked silence as everyone took in Xander's rumbled and dirty clothes, and the small amount of blood that marred his shirt. He cursed himself for forgetting what state he was in. At least his jacket, which was coated in Slayer blood, had been left with Giles.

When Gibbs didn't say a word, Xander cringed inwardly, but was saved by the ever faithful Abby, who instantly shot to her feet for the second time upon seeing Xander and pulled him into a strong hug much like she had done to Tony.

"Xander, where were you!" she exclaimed. "Why weren't you with them? What happened to you?"

Struggling to bottle away the vicious guilt that arose upon those words, Xander carefully chose his response. "I came to visit a friend who's in the hospital."

"Oh! Are they okay?" Abby asked, unfailing concern etched in her voice.

Mildly stunned by the instant worry from Abby despite his absence, Xander instantly replied with the truth. "No. They aren't."

"I'm so sorry Xander!"

Xander was instantly sucked back into a fierce hug, but couldn't help but watch Gibbs over the Goth woman's shoulder.

He didn't like what he saw.

* * *

_Ignore any medical/investigative mistakes I make, because I'm not entirely versed in the hospital going ons._

_So, I'm either a month early or eleven late on this update._

_Which makes me realize I can't set deadlines for myself, because I'll probably miss them. But I will finish this fic, don't you worry._

_I hope you enjoyed the chapter._


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